The Camera and The Jagan
by Kagami Kyoji
Summary: When the GB got transported back in time during a job, they stumbled upon a pair of twins, together with some red butterflies...GB X FF2, set in FF2's universe Updated: Chapter 3 out now! Note: Due to new information in FF3, this fic will be discontinued.
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: Don't own FF2 or GB...

"Ginji, I always know that you were dense. But... HOW THE HELL DID YOU MANAGE TO GET US LOST IN TIME!"

"Gomenasai, Ban-chan..."

The spiky-haired teen gave an exasperated groan. Just a few moments ago, the Invincible Duo had been on their latest job: retrieving a time machine. Though Ban had secretly sneered at the idea, it was a proper job nonetheless; their professor client, too, had promised a huge fee.

Well, forcing a confession from the prof's assistant that he had sold the device to the yakuza was easy.(The Jagan helped, as always) Tracking the thugs to a back alley in Ura Shinjuku was easy too, as was with dispatching said thugs, who had tried to put up a fight. Oh, but why do I have to let Ginji hold that palm-sized teleporter?

Yes, the doc did warn them that the device was not very stable. And yes, he had been half asleep during the briefing. But did Ginji really have to meddle with the damn thing while they were making their way back to the Beetle?

"Ginji, you BAKA!" The Master of the Jagan could no longer contain his rage.

Ginji, on his part, decided to turn tare and put on his cutest look. He admitted that he couldn't resist a little poking here and there on the device. But apparently, he forgot that he could release short pulses of electricity, which does have its effect on electronic gadgets...

"What the," was all Ban could mutter as a bright light engulfed the Get Backers in that dark alley. The next thing the duo knew, they were here, right smack in the middle of a forest...

"And the thing is that WE DON"T EVEN KNOW WHERE OR WHEN WE ARE!"

"Gomen..."

Another exasperated groan. After calming down somewhat, Ban's rational self took over.He remembered the doc mentioning that should they set off the time machine, it would be a matter of days before it could be used again. Exactly how long, he couldn't remember.

"Note to self: Never fall asleep again during briefings," thought Ban as his mind conjured up the mocking faces of Hevn, Himiko...and that blasted Beastmaster...

"Ne, Ban-chan. What do we do now?"

"Ok. First, we try to find out where our current location is. Ginji, please use your finger as a compass," Ban tried hard to swallow his pride. If he could have his way, he would have bashed the blond teen into a nearby tree long ago... and left him there. Ok, the last part was a joke. Ban knew that he would never abandon his partner and best pal like that...

Meanwhile, Ginji's magnetized finger pointed towards the north.

"Good, Ginji. At least now we know where North is..."

"Onesan! Onesan! Slow down!"

The Get Backers turned their heads. Running towards them was a young teenage girl, about 15, 16. She had a black shirt with short sleeves on, along with a simple beige dress. On her legs were a pair of stockings which covered her legs from the knees down, as well as a pair of black boots. Despite her speed, the young lady ran with a limp, and the duo could see the bandage around her right knee. But what struck the GB duo was the red coloured butterfly knot the girl had in front of her dress. Coincidently, the girl seemed to be chasing after a red butterfly which was now flying past the two retrievers. 

The girl passed the duo without giving them so much as a glance. Ban would have ignored her if not for...

"What the hell," mumbled Ban as his Jagan twitched the moment the teen ran past him. When the Jagan had any reaction, best prepare for something to happen, thought the Genius of Battles.

As for Ginji, he could sense too that the girl who had ran past them was not an ordinary person. She seems to have an affinity for minute electrical currents, much like himself. He also observed that the girl looked somewhat dazed, as if she had been possessed...

Another girl was running towards them. Ban removed his sunglasses. Both teens rubbed their eyes to make sure that they were not seeing things.

The teen that was running towards them looked exactly like the girl who had passed them by, except for her attire. This girl had a black sleeveless top on together with a beige shirt with sleeves. Her white skirt was quite short but to make up for it, her black stockings stretched all the way from her thighs to her shins. She had a pair of black shoes on, with white socks..

"Misters, can you help stop my onesan? She seems to be out of sorts..."

Despite the obvious distress in her voice, Ban could tell that the girl had guts in her, seeing how she had approached them, total strangers, calmly for help with her sister.

"Calm down, kid. What's your name," said Ban gruffly.

"Mio. Amakura Mio."

Where have I heard that name before, thought Ban.

"What a coincidence. I have a 'sky' in my name too. My name is Amano Ginji," introduced the Get Backer, thrusting his gloved hand forward.

The young lady shook the hand gently yet firmly. This girl must be tough as nails, thought Ginji.

"And I'm Mido Ban."

"Mido-san, Amano-san, can you help me chase after my onesan?"

"Let's go, Ginji. We have work to do."

The blond teen stared at his partner. Usually, Ban wouldn't be so quick to help a total stranger, especially when money is not mentioned. Still, Ban-chan does have his soft spots sometimes...

"Well? Hurry up," Ban had already began running.

"Ban-chan, why are we helping the young lady," asked a curious Ginji.

"Because she looks kawaii. Because I'm in a good mood..."

"Ban-chan..." Ginji was clearly annoyed at Ban's attempts to treat him like an idiot.

"Haven't you noticed," said Ban with a more serious tone. "Something is not right with her sister."

"Yeah. I sensed it. The girl seemed to be possessed."

"Not only that. My Jagan had a reaction when she ran past me."

"Really?"

Ban nodded.

Ginji gulped. Something bad's going to happen around here...

"There she is," pointed Ban at Mio's twin.

"Err, Ban-chan... Why is there another...lady in white floating around her.." Ginji was now seriously scared.

"Damn it...Some weird mist is beginning to set in," cursed Ban as the surroundings started becoming hazy.  
Clearly, he had not been paying attention to his partner's concerns.

"Amano-san! Mido-san," The Get Backers waited while Mio stopped to catch her breath.

"Mio-chan, I think it's best that you stay in front. We might lose you in this fog," said a concerned Ginji.

Without warning, a mournful tune started to play in the area.

Ginji turned tare and hopped onto Ban's head.

"Get off me, you stupid baby!"

"Ban-chan, I'm scared!"

Despite her anxiety, Mio couldn't help but giggle at the funny sight before her.

"She likes it, Ban-chan."

"Shut up and listen to the surroundings," snapped Ban.

Ginji remained silent. And then...

"What was that singing about," asked Mio, trying hard not to tremble.

"It sounds like a folk song," mused Ban. Or a song sang during rituals, thought the Urchin Head.

"Ban-chan..." Tare Ginji pointed in front.  
In between the trees in the forest, the trio could see lights flickering. When they got closer, they saw that there were two rows of lanterns.

Mio and Ban(with tare Ginji still on his head) ran along the narrow path lit by the lanterns. The path led them to a clearing in the thick forest.

There, they saw the other Amakura twin, her back facing the trio. But the girl wasn't alone...

Countless red butterflies were fluttering around her, as if examining her with their crimson wings...

"Mayu," called out her sister.

Amakura Mayu turned around. The butterflies, as if frightened by the call, gathered together and flew away.

Following the butterflies' path, the Get Backers saw something which made their hairs stand on ends.

They saw a village before them, shrouded in mist and darkness. The whole place looked creepy but Ban knew better. The freaking place had been cursed, thought the teen as he lit a cigarette. The years of studying magic and the occult under Maria Noches had finally come in handy.

"Onesan, are you alright?"

"Mio, what happened," asked Mayu, still looking somewhat bewildered.

Ginji got off his pal's head and looked at the older twin. Unlike Mio, Amakura Mayu came across as a timid girl. Her voice was soft and gentle; she also seemed to lack the confidence and firmness of her sister...

Meanwhile, Ban looked behind the group. The path which they came from had already disappeared...

"Ladies and gentleman, I have some bad news."

The other three stared at the spikey-haired teen.

"Look behind us," Ban cocked his thumb to the rear...

Ginji went tare and started running around.

"What are we going to do? What are we..."

He was interrupted by a sudden stomp in his face.

"Would you just calm down? You're scaring the ladies." 

Turning towards the twins, Ban suggested, "It seems that we have only one option: to enter that village in front of us..."

Amakura Mayu gripped her sister's hand more tightly, the distress evident in her face. Mio, on the other hand, patted her onesan's hand gently, trying to calm the girl down.

"Don't worry, we'll be fine."

I hope, thought Ban to himself.

Atogaki(Afterthoughts)

- This is the prequel to the actual crossover. Hope you enjoyed it! Please RnR!

- Do note that I haven't actually play the game. But I'll try my best to keep it as close to the events of the game as possible.

- The "sky" mentioned by Ginji refers to their surnames. In Kanji, "Ama" means "sky"... 


	2. The Horror

As the four unlikely travelmates began making their way to the village, Amakura Mio brought up an interesting question.

"Amano-san, Mido-san, why are the two of you here in the first place?"

Mido Ban stopped in his tracks. The rest of the group did like-wise.

Before his partner could reply, Ban asked in return,"Why do you wish to know, Mio-chan?"

Ginji couldn't believe his ears. His pal was actually using 'chan' to address a stranger. Even the girls at the Honky Tonk and the Poison Lady never got such treatment. He knew then that Ban respected the girl. Exactly what he was impressed with, the blond Get Backer didn't know...

"I thought this forest was a rather secluded place. In fact, my onesan and I used to play here secretly when we were young," replied the spunky teen.

Ban sat down on a nearby rock.

"Promise me that you sisters wouldn't over-react if I say it."

Mio nodded immediatly. Mayu thought for a while, before doing the same.

"Both Ginji and I are from the future. That baka set off a time machine by mistake, and got us stranded here," said Ban, pointing his finger at a now tare Ginji.

Silence. Then Mio started laughing out loud. Mayu giggled.

"You got to be kidding, Mido-san."

"I wish I was, Mio-chan. But that's the truth. We don't even know where or when in time we are. Can you enlighten us on what date today is?"

Amakura Mio stopped laughing when she noted the serious tone in Ban's words. Her twin ceased her giggles too.

"Today is the fourteenth of February in the 31st year of the Showa Era (1956)."

"Arigato..."

31st year of the Showa Era... Amakura... Cursed village...

"Oh, crap..." The cigarette in Ban's mouth dropped to the ground.

"What's wrong, Ban-chan?"

"I remember reading something when I was still being looked after by Maria."

Ginji turned back to his normal self. Ban's reading literature in his younger days consisted mainly on witches' stuff, things like spells... and curses.

"In the 31st year of the Showa Era, a pair of twins was reported lost in the forests near Nodagawa."

"Nodagawa? That's about 15 kilometres from our town," volunteered Mayu.

"The names of the twins lost... were Amakura Mio and Amakura Mayu."

The sisters gasped.

"But Ban-chan, surely there are many twins with the same names around in Nodagawa..."

Ban wanted to laugh at his partner's naivety. But now was not the time.

"That's not the point, Ginji. When the police launched a search in the area, they eventually... found one of the twins. The girl had a butterfly-shaped tattoo on her neck."

"When found, the twin was in a state of shock. Her sister... disappeared, as though she had vanished into thin air."

"The girl who was found... was Amakura Mio."

Mayu's knees grew weak. Her sister hurried forward to steady the trembling girl.

"That damned grandma of mine knew that something was going on. She asked her best disciples to check out what had happened exactly. One was Maria Noches. The other was a man. Ginji, you know him... as Lucifer."

Maria-san and Lucifer? Ginji realised then that the Witch Queen was indeed a woman worthy of her title.

"The two managed to dig out the truth behind the disappearance. The place where the girls went missing was formerly the site of a village where a terrible ritual was carried out... and it involved twins."

"The village practiced a distorted form of Shinto worshipping, where it was believed that human sacrifices must be made regularly. But the priests of the village honden decided that this sacrifice must be a unique one."

"The chief priest decided that a twin was to be sacrificed every ten years in a grisly ritual. During the ritual, he or she was to be strangled by the other sibling. The body will then be thrown into an abyss where the villagers believe the kami of the area to be residing in."

There was silence when the Witch Queen's grandson paused to recall more details.

"Ban-chan, how did you know all this," Ginji couldn't figure out why his best pal would want to learn all these seemingly useless information.

"That old lady wanted a documentation of all such happenings around the world...so that her descendants who inherit the Snake will get himself or herself better prepared for such things."

"Anyway, the ritual was carried out successfully for many years until the mid-1880s. At that point in time, the pair of sisters who were supposed to carry out the ritual decided to escape instead. Only one managed to do so. The other was sacrificed, or so the accounts go."

"But the vengeful twin refused to accept her fate. Her restless soul laid a curse on the village. By absorbing the essence of those who had been sacrificed previously, the girl slaughtered everyone and plunged the village into a neverending nightmare of darkness and malice." 

"After this incident, there were no more mentions of the village... until 1956. Soon after Amakura Mio was found, a dam was constructed in the surrounding forest. From then on, there were no more stories concerning the area..."

"A dam was to be built in this place sometime in the near future. That's why Onesan and I decided to come here one last time... before it disappears," said Mio.

By now, Mayu had turned absolutely white in the face. The poor girl was trembling from head to toe and the Get Backers could see that she was trying hard not to cry.

"Wait...," exclaimed Mio, suddenly realising the full implications of Ban's words.

"Do you mean that... I'll kill Onesan... with my own hands?"

Ban nodded gravely.

"That's impossible! I would never hurt Onesan!"

"Don't be too quick to pass down conclusions, Mio-chan. The hands of fate work in mysterious ways. Perhaps it's only through Mayu's sacrifice... that the curse may finally be lifted."

Mio gripped her sister's hand tight, and clenched her other fist.

Ginji turned towards his partner.

"Ban-chan..."

Mido Ban began to think very hard. Though he knew that it will be difficult to defy destiny, he too, like Ginji, wanted to help the twins escape their fate. Call it pity if you would. But the Master of the Jagan knew how it felt like to be cursed...

"I know, Ginji..."

"Amano-san, Mido-san, can I ask a favour from both of you?"

"What is it, Mio-chan," asked Ginji.

"If my onesan is to come under any danger, will you two protect her?"

Ban saw those eyes before. When Fuyuki Shido went down on his knees to... beg for the GB's help, Mido Ban had seen that exact expression in the Beastmaster...

Now, a stranger girl was begging him to save her sister.

"We're not protectors, Mio-chan," replied Ban.

Ginji stared at his partner.

"But... we're the Get Backers! I promise you, if Mayu-chan is to be taken away from you, we'll get her back," said Ban with a grin.

Ginji smiled.

"That's right, Mio-chan! That's our job! And we have a 100 record of getting our clients' stuff back!"

"If it's lost..."(Ban)

"We'll get it back!" (Ginji)

"For we are the Get Backers Dakkanya!"

Upon hearing their corny slogan, even the frightened Mayu managed a smile. Mio bowed deeply to the duo.

"Arigato gozaimasu..."

"Now, for the payment..."

Another hard stare from Ginji was enough to stop Ban's words.

"Hey! I was just joking man!"

With the duo's reassurance, Amakura Mio regained her confidence.

"All right then! Let's go! We can't be staying here the whole day!"

Smilingalong with the spunky girl, the GB duo followed behind the twins as they continued on towards the village. As they moved on, the duo couldn't help but notice that Mio was still holding on tightly to her onesan's hand...

Atogaki (Afterthoughts)

- The Showa Era is the name of the reign of Emperor Hirohito, who was Emperor from 1926 to 1989. (On a side note, though he actually took over in 1926 when his father died, he was not crowned until 1928) He is the father of the current Emperor Akihito, whose name of reign is Heisei. Even today, many Japanese still prefer to use the Heisei era to indicate the year, e.g. 2005 is the 17th year of the Heisei Era. 


	3. First Encounter

"Well, we're finally here," mused Ban as the group reached the entrance of the village, where a Shinto gate stood. Though still a sight to behold, the gate looked derelict and it was clear that it had not been looked after for a LONG time.

The girls and Ginji gulped in spite of themselves, for the sight before them was even more terrifying than they previously thought.

The village was like any other Japanese village of the 1800s; the houses were simple ones, resting on bamboo silts, with no pomp or luxury. But, like the gate, the whole place had been decaying away for ages now. As the wind blew through the holes in the wooden walls, the creaking sound added to the dreadful atmosphere.

As expected, there wasn't a single person around. But as Ginji and Ban knew very well, there were a ton of SOULS wandering around in the area. The twins felt themselves trembling at an unknown fear; a fear which reached deep down into their hearts.

"Ban-chan, I'm scared," whispered Ginji, who was now beginning to turn white in the face.

"Are you a man or not? Stop acting like a little girl," growled Ban in a low voice.

Raising his voice to address the whole group, the teen said, "We can't be standing here the whole day. Let's go."

As the Urchin Head started to walk beneath the Shinto gate, his partner spotted something on the floor right beside the structure.

"Ban-chan, take a look at this."

The group gathered to look at what Ginji had found: a black bag, along with 2 newspaper clippings.

Ban and Mio took the clippings, while Mayu and Ginji busied themselves with the bag.

"Surveyor missing," Ban read out loud the title of his article. He then proceeded to read the contents of the clipping.

"With the start of the construction for the Minakami dam approaching, Makimura Masumi(26), a geological surveyor dispatched to the area, has gone missing.

Makimura-san went to the area to investigate the site that would be submerged once the dam was built, but hasn't been heard from for five days."

"Search for the Surveyor Called Off," said Mio to herself, looking at the clipping in her hands.

"The search for Makimura Masumi(26), the surveyor missing since the fourth of this month, came to a close yesterday.

Makimura-san had been helping to conduct a geological survey for the Minakami dam.

As of yesterday, he has been missing for ten days."

Meanwhile, the other two were searching through the black bag. Apparently, the things inside all belonged to a woman: a purse, some letters, an ID of the lady, and a photograph.

"Hmmm, this article said that a guy went missing around here a year ago," said Ban to his companions.

"Mido-san, my clipping said that the search for the man was called off after five days," volunteered Mio.

"Ne, Ban-chan, did your clipping have a photo of the man along with it?"

"No."

"Me neither," said Mio.

"Here," said Ginji as he passed the ID and the photo to his best pal.

Ban looked at the the 2 items. The photo showed a couple together, smiling for the camera. Though it was a black-and-white, the joyous expressions of the couple could still clearly be seen. But what interested Ban more was that the lady in the picture was the same lady whose ID he was now holding.

"This lady's name is Sudo Miyako, according to her papers."

"Ginji-san, the letters were all written by a Makimura Masumi and they were addressed to Miyako-san," Mayu told the group after browsing throught the letters.

"That's the name of the guy who went missing. This is not good," Ban shared his thoughts with the group.

"Quick. Pack up the stuff and let's be moving."

"Er... Ban-chan, what's that thing ahead of you," asked a trembling Ginji as he pointed.

The group turned to look at where the blond Get Backer had pointed. There was a faint image of a lady floating in the distance. She seemed to be waving her hand, as if asking the group to follow her.

"If that ghost wants us to follow her, I'm taking the bait," said Ban as he started moving towards the spirit.

The rest of the group hurriedly kept all the stuff inside the black bag and followed the teen as the ghost floated ahead of them.

It disappeared into one of the many houses. The group entered the hovel as well. At the door, Ginji noticed the slab of wood hanging beside the opening, which had the surname of the family living in the house written on it.

"Osaka..." noted Ginji as he entered the house.

The house was more dilapidated inside than it looked on the outside. Holes were everywhere on the floor and the sliding screen doors were torn and tattered.

"Well, looks like no one's home," Ginji couldn't resist stating the obvious fact.

"Let's stay together and search through the place," suggested Ban.

They had only moved a few steps before...

"Mio, look!"

At her sister's call, the rest looked at where the older Amakura was pointing. They saw a woman staring at them with her sightless eyes. The apparition soon vanished into thin air.

"Guys, I think by now, all of you should realise that this place is freaking filled with those kind of things around. So, let's stop screaming if you see them and just try to ignore them."

"But what if they attack," asked Mio while still trying to comfort her sister.

Suddenly, there were a loud smashing sound as one of the sliding doors was torn to splinters. Ban had his right hand stretched out and a faint scaly body could be seen sliding around the man.

"Ginji and I will take care of that," whispered Ban as the twins stared at him, their mouths open in disbelief.

"But, Ban-chan, can you really use your Snake Bite on ghosts," whispered Ginji.

"You forgot who I am, Ginji. A little magic will work wonders here. And don't forget, you can hit spirits with your electric fields, you know."

"But I only did that once with Kabuto..and I was Raitei at that time."

"We'll see how it goes then"

With that, the duo entered the room on their left. The twins followed suit, still thinking about what kind of person their spiky-haired companion really was.

"Hmmm, what's this," mused Ban as he picked up a piece of paper on the floor. Looking at it, his heart skipped a beat.

"I've heard rumors about the lost village before. Long ago, a massacre occurred on the day of a ceremony, and the village was wiped from the map.

Twin Deities Statues in the forest lead lost people to the village entrance.

Once you pass through the hate however, you cannot go back.

The village eternally relives that night of death.

The insane laughter of a woman is said to echo throughout the village.

The only survivor of the massacre at the village was a lone woman."

"Mido-san, what's that," asked Mio.

"It's nothing," lied Ban with a straight face.

Quickly stuffing it into his pocket, the Get Backer looked around the room. Besides a shelf and some chests used for storing kimonos, the room was bare.

"Ban-chan, look at what I've found."

Ban's heart skipped another beat. The paper was of the same type as the note he had found. The handwriting on it was also similar. The four crowded together to read the note.

"Sometimes I sense someone passing by the window.

He carries a torch, and mutters things.

He seems to be searching for somebody,

but it's not Masumi.

In the distance, I can hear some kind of sad ceremonial song being sung.

They say that this village vanished on the day of a ceremony, and that day is repeated over and over again".

"Look, the writer mentioned a Masumi. Could this note be written by Miyako-san herself," questioned Mayu in a timid voice.

"It's possible, onesan. Which means that the lady who led us to this house could be..." Mio turned pale as she realise the implications of her deduction.

"There's only one way to find out if your guess is correct, Mio-chan," replied Ban.

Continuing their search of the room, the group found nothing. From the corner of his eyes, Ban saw another lady walking outside the house, by the window. Wisely, he didn't make a single sound.

As they moved deeper into the house, the lady who had beckoned to them reappeared. She continued to walk further down a corridor.

At the end of the corridor, there was a little room. Mayu found yet another piece of paper on a shelf.

"Masumi... It's me, Miyako.

I came to look for you.

Let's go home together.

Together, we can make it.

Call for me if you find this.

I'll be nearby.

Miss you!"

After reading its contents, the group sighed.

"Miyako-san must have missed Makimura-san a lot," said Ginji thoughtfully.

"Also, she was getting desperate," thought Ban to himself.

Presently, the four found themselves back at the corridor. They decided to enter the next room along the way.

When they entered, they could just make out the form of a woman before she vanished on an altar. Rubbing their eyes, they looked around.

Besides the altar, the floor of the room was laid with tatami mats. In the centre of the room, there's a table... with a camera on it.

As the girls approached the table, Ginji wanted to turn tare and lay down on his favourite mats. But he knew that this was not the time.

"Hmmm, what's this thing doing here," thought Mio as she picked up the old camera.

"Mio, look at this," said Mayu, holding up 2 pieces of paper.

"Hmmm... this camera can zap ghosts? Are you sure," asked Ban as Mayu showed the GB duo the notes.

"Ban-chan, if time machines really do work, I don't see why this camera can't shoot down spirits... Oh! Here's another note by Miyako-san!"

"Sometimes I hear an eerie song-like sound coming from the family altar.

It sounds like it's coming from deep below.

Maybe it's just the wind ?

Or maybe there really is something behind that wall..."

The note sent chills down the group's spines, especially Mayu's, who is now trembling.

"Can we leave this house now," she pleaded.

As they left the room, Ginji managed to grab a torchlight which had been lying on the floor.

"Ban-chan's right. I should use my powers more completely," Ginji thought as he held on to the torchlight (which he found using his magnetic field as a detector).

Outside on the corridor, they saw another ghost. But this time, Mio was excited.

"Let's try out the camera," she said as she peered through the device for a few seconds and pressed the shutter.

Amazingly, the woman howled as she disappeared.

It was now the GB duo's turn to stare while Mio hugged her twin.

"It worked! It worked," chirped the younger twin.

"...Ok, looks like the thing really CAN shoot ghosts. Let's go," said Ban, his tone betraying the fact that he still had doubts about the camera.

They made their way back to the front of the house. Ginji tried to open the door. But, strangely, the door didn't budge.

"Ginji, let me do it," said Ban as he stepped forward for the challenge.

Well, it wasn't SUPPOSED to be much of a difficulty when you have 2000N worth of force wrenching away at the door. But when Ban gripped the door knob, he knew that something supernatural was keeping the door shut. No matter, it's time to show who's boss around here, thought the Master of the Jagan.

Channeling his natural strength and the Snake which resides in his right hand, the teen yanked the door right off its hinges and threw it by the side.

The girls' eyes nearly popped out of their sockets at this act. They couldn't believe what this stick-thin teen had just done.

"Ban-chan's just... a little stronger than he looked," explained Ginji with a sheepish grin.  
"Now that the way out is clear, I think we should continue our little search. Mayu, can you try not to cry anymore? We'll protect you... and your sister too."

Looking at the other three, Amakura Mayu took a deep breath.

"Okay, Mido-san..."

The group resumed their search inside the house.

"Ban-chan, I don't think we have entered this room yet."

They sure have not, for the room they were in now was the biggest room they had seen in the house. Like the altar room, this one had tatami mats covering the floor. More importantly, there was a spirit of a man in the room.

The man was covered with cuts and bruises and he had a terrifying expression on his face.

Steeling herself, Mio peered through the camera again.

When the shutter clicked, the man gave out a long mourn as he vanished into thin air.

Meanwhile, Ban had spotted a bulge on the floor. Lifting the tatami mat, he saw a bundle of clothing, with another note beside it.

"Someone! Anyone! Whoever sees this, look for me. I'm trapped in this village.

HELP ME !

Sudo Miyako"

"I think we may have an answer to your deduction, Mio-chan," said Ban grimly as he passed the note around.

Mayu wanted to just run out of the place. But she remembered her promise. Also, she knew that everyone was into this together.

Ginji decided to switch on his electric field. The girls were startled to see sparks coming from his gloves and to hear the crackling sound of electricity.

"There's a reason why one of that kid's nicknames is 'electric eel'," said Ban with a grin.

As they stepped out of the room, Ban saw something glowing on the floor. He picked up the object.

"Hmmm.. this key could prove useful,' thought Ban as he slipped it into his shirt pocket.

Suddenly, a mournful tune started to play in the background. The same female spirit who had led them to the house appeared in front of them.

A scream was heard as Mayu could no longer contain herself.

Mio wanted to use the camera but Ban stopped her.

"Let's wait and see what she's up to."

Ginji stared hard at the ghost. His gut feeling (and electrical senses) told him that it was Sudo Miyako before them. 

Miyako's ghost turned around and began to walk up a flight of stairs. The group followed behind.

At the second floor, the ghost disappeared into a room right beside the stairs. The GB duo ran swiftly to the door. It was locked.

Ban whipped out the key and tried it on the lock. Bingo.

The ghost pointed at a table before disappearing into the next section. Ban grabbed the note that's left on it.

"How much time has passed since I came here ? How long will this night last ?

I can't take the darkness. It's driving me crazy... I have to get out of here!

I have to see Masumi."

"Poor Miyako-san," said Ginji.

"Quick, follow her! And girls, stay right behind us," commanded Ban.

The next section had another note lying on the floor. The ghost stayed motionless in front of them.

Ginji bent down to pick up the piece of paper.

"I must be tired. If I start to relax, I pass out. Even in a crazy place like this. The darkness here is creeping into my dreams.

Slaughter, rivers of blood, fallen people, a woman in a bloodstained kimono, insane laughter, and twin sisters calling out "Don't kill me!".

That woman's laugh is seared into my mind.

I don't want to sleep anymore."

By now, Ban was truly beginning to feel mad. What kind of creature will lay such a vicious curse, he asked himself.

Suddenly, the ghost darted to the duo's back, where the girls were standing. Mayu screamed again.

"Oh, no," cried Ginji. Ban cursed under his breath.

However, the ghost did not harm the girls. Instead, it made its way to the front and into another section of the room.

Upon entering, the duo now found another note right in front of Miyako's spirit. The lady turned around and stared at them.

Picking up the note cautiously, Ginji noticed that Miyako-san's handwriting had become sketchy on this piece of paper.

"Masumi found my note. He WAS in the village!

I can see him soon. I can't move...

I'll wait here.

He'll be back. He'll find the way out.

If he comes back...

He came..."

After Ginji finished reading out loud the note, Miyako suddenly gave a loud howl. The spirit reared back her head and the group saw what had happened to Miyako-san before her death.

They saw two palm prints around her neck, a sure indication that she was murdered by someone...or something.

Staring back at the group with her sightless eyes (with pupils now devoid of any colour), Sudo Miyako lunged towards Mido Ban.

The spunky teen merely stepped aside. A split second later, a snake's jaws slammed into the spirit's face.

Reeling in pain and disbelief, Miyako paused momentarily. Then, with renewed vigour, she charged towards the Urchin Head.

Several spots on the spirit's body were hit instantly. Amano Ginji decided to step into the foray.

"Ban-chan! I sensed something clouding Miyako-san's mind. Let me help her!"

"She's all yours, Ginji. Good luck!"

The blond Get Backer then fired his plasma balls at the spirit. The spirit wringed in pain as the plasma burnt her ethereal form.

Dashing towards the spirit, Ginji planted his palm right in the middle of her torso. With a loud shout, he channeled his electricity through the spirit's form.

The spirit moaned as some minute particles began floating out from it. A final burst of energy, and the particles were driven out of the room.

Miyako slumped forward as Amano Ginji used his electric field to help her up. The spirit shook her head and looked at the group.

"Well, I'll be...That damned grandma of mine mentioned before that weaker spirits can be possessed by stronger ones. Now, I've seen it with my own eyes," mused Ban as he lit a cigarette.

"Miyako-san, are you all right," asked a concerned Ginji.

"Thank you, young man. I'm fine now."

Ginji looked at the spirit before him. Though the palm prints still remained on her neck, Ginji could now see that Miyako had a pair of beautiful eyes. The black pupils looked back at him with a sad forlorn look. With her long black hair around her shoulders, she looked every bit a damsel in distress. The thought that they could no longer save her was hard on Ginji. He looked away from the sprirt.

"Miyako-san, my name is Mido Ban. That lad over there is Amano Ginji. These two girls here are the Amakura twins. We knew that your boyfriend went missing in this village. Apparently, you stayed behind to look for him and was killed. Can you tell us who murdered you?"

Miyako bowed her head. "It was him," she whispered.

"Who, Miyako-san," asked Ginji.

"My love, Masumi..."

"You mean Makimura-san did this to you? But how.." exclaimed Mio.

"Mio-chan, didn't you see how Miyako-san was possessed just now? It's a contest of wills. The twin who cursed this village is one vengeful spirit. Naturally, Miyako-san came under her control," explained Ban.

"Miyako-san, now that you are free from her grasp, you may want to remain here until we find a way out of the village," suggested Ginji.

"May I come along?"

The group was surprised by this request. Ban was the first to respond.

"You want us to help free Masumi-san, right?"

"Please.."

"Alright, Miyako-san. You may come along."

Addressing the rest of the group, Ban explained, "We're in this together, guys. If we can break the curse, we get out of here and spirits like Miyako-san can rest in peace. So, any objections?"

The three shook their heads.

"Good. Now, let's get the hell out of here."

Atogaki (Afterthoughts)

- As I have mentioned before, I'll try to stick close to the original game. But a few liberties were taken. Gomen if any reader feels offended...

- Thanks to Phan Nguyen Khanh Dan "Mysticcat" for his FAQ, from which I took the notes and the rough sequence of events.

- Please RnR! 


End file.
